Goldenseal Pro- Mac OS Versions (Nov 30)

For the past two years we have been building Goldenseal Pro on Macs running OS 10.11 (El Capitan). Occasionally we test it on newer OS versions.

A few weeks ago we began to update the actual build computers. That means using newer versions of Xcode (Apple’s software-development app), running on the matching, newer OS. The app also uses newer versions of the SDK (Software Developer’s Kit).

To create Goldenseal Pro, Xcode starts with our source code (about 2500 C++ and Objective-C files). It converts the text into machine language, then adds Apple’s code from the SDK. It then links everything together to make the final app. Altogether, it’s a complicated process. Luckily, once it’s set up we can just change text, then hit the Run command. During productive programming, that happens 50 or 100 times per day.

Apple moves fast. Since 2012, they have released a new OS and SDK every September +/-. Each new release adds a few features, and fixes some old bugs. Unfortunately, new versions also remove a few old/deprecated features, and add new bugs.

Along with the OS, Xcode also evolves. Sometimes the interface that we see changes, as does the compiler which translates source code to machine language. Sometimes bug fixes, sometimes new bugs.

With all the changes in basic frameworks and tools, it’s not surprising to discover problems when we update the build OS.

At present, Goldenseal Pro does well when built with OS 10.12 (Sierra). The main window display has a few cosmetic glitches, but those are caused by layout errors that we are fixing now. Sierra is more fussy, but that’s a good thing.

We also can build with OS 10.13 (High Sierra). Most things work, but the app crashes after switching tabs in the main window. Lots of things break Cocoa, so it’s possible that fixing the minor display issues will also fix the crashes. We’ll see about that soon.

OS 10.14 (Mojave) uses a new file system that isn’t visible to OS 10.12 or earlier. To use it conveniently will require more new hardware. The new Mac Minis are not very attractive for the price, so we are considering options. Besides cash, it’s a matter of desk and shelf space, and what we use for daily business. I personally still like OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion) better than all. It’s the last version that allows files with color bars. Upgrading will be a downgrade for my own personal file management.

Before TurtleSoft ships Goldenseal Pro, we need to make a decision about which SDK to use for the final release. It limits which computers can run the app.

Right now, it looks like the best option will be to require either 10.12 (Sierra) or 10.13 (High Sierra).  Hearing from users will help. Mac OS version updates are free, but at some point they require a hardware update. There’s no way Goldenseal Pro can run on OS 10.8, but 10.11 is doable.  Maybe 10.10.  Even if we use an older SDK, it’s still good that we are building on newer OS versions now. It helps catch bugs, and ensures that Goldenseal Pro will migrate easily to future updates.

A couple weeks ago we were making good progress on breakdown tables. Since then, most days have been consumed by installations and testing. Fortunately, final setup is growing near. It will be nice to get back to regular programming again. Making code do tricks is much more fun than downloads and settings for the 6th or 7th time.

From here on out. TurtleSoft will run entirely on SSDs instead of hard drives. They are zippy.

Dennis Kolva
Programming Director
TurtleSoft.com

Goldenseal Pro Progress: NSDrawer -> NSPanel (Nov 16)

We started interface work on Goldenseal Pro for Mac a bit over two years ago. During the first couple months we learned Apple’s Cocoa framework, and checked their sample projects to see how best to design the windows.

One sample project was called Drawer Madness. It had a main window, with smaller windows popping out from the sides. It was implemented with a Cocoa class called NSDrawer. Getting drawers to work only took about 10 lines of code. It seemed an excellent way to display breakdown tables, so that’s how we programmed them.

Right about then, Apple decided to deprecate the NSDrawer class.  Deprecation means they won’t provide any further support or improvements, and plan to remove it completely some day. Sigh.

Breakdown drawers looked really nice, so we decided to stick with them for as long as they still worked.

This week, we started testing with the latest Mac OS version. Unfortunately, after opening a breakdown drawer, Xcode gave a warning that the “next responder” was incorrect. The app then crashed randomly. Xcode didn’t say what caused the problem, but NSDrawer seemed a likely suspect.

So, we replaced the breakdown drawer with a different type of window called an NSPanel. It comes down in front of the main window instead of out from the side. We already use panels for lists and “more info” windows, so the change wasn’t difficult. When it was done, there were no warnings, and no crashes.

We probably could duplicate the drawer appearance with a secondary window and some animation. Unfortunately, it would mean learning new Cocoa stuff, and probably would take at least a month to set up. Right now we really want to finish ASAP. Panels are good enough for now.

The way we display breakdowns is kind of a design trade-off. Goldenseal currently has breakdown tables at the bottom of the main window, with all the other fields. You can switch them on and off with the Breakdown popup button on the left. It makes some windows much taller than others. That’s OK when there are lots of separate windows, but it’s ugly if everything is in one window. These days, most apps use a single window with tabs, and Goldenseal Pro will do the same. It’s less cluttered.

Using a drawer on the side means you can see both the regular Estimate fields and the table, similar to how Goldenseal looks now but wider. It also has space for a few control buttons: Add Row etc. The down side is that the drawer is so wide that it may not fit on a 13″ laptop.

Using a panel is the most efficient use of screen space, it also has room for control buttons, and it reduces clutter to a minimum. But you can’t see the breakdown and the rest of an Estimate at the same time. If you need to jump back and forth it’s slightly annoying.

When our staff moved breakdown tables from drawer to panel, we consolidated the code so it will be easier to move again later. That way it won’t be too hard to add drawer-like windows in a later update, if users really want the option.

Dennis Kolva
Programming Director
TurtleSoft.com

 

Goldenseal Pro- Smart Fields & Tables (Nov 9)

In the original Goldenseal, our staff spent 3 or 4 months programming clairvoyant fields. They are complicated.

Clairvoyant fields (soon to be called smart fields) have three different ways to data enter. You can click on a popup button, type in, or start typing and then select from a scrolling list. They show lists that may come from several different places. They also let you edit list items, or add new ones, or jump to a different record.  Or if they are disabled, you can double-click to jump to that item. It took a lot of fiddling and testing to get everything working smoothly.

Programming breakdown tables took even longer. We spent 2 or 3 programmer-years on those. It was like re-inventing Microsoft Excel, but with special features for estimating and accounting.

Then, even worse, clairvoyant fields act differently when inside a table cell. They need extra coding to handle the quirks.

Last week our staff got so frustrated with Cocoa smart fields, that we went back and tried for the third time to build them from NSComboBox. It’s Apple’s version of a list-choosing field, and it is so-o-o-o close to what we need. This time we set things up so it’s easy to switch back and forth. After a few days of testing and modifying, we gave up for the third time.

The good news is, regular smart/clairvoyant fields now work very well. There probably are some obscure problems still lurking, but they perform as they should in all possible combinations of tabs, clicks and typing.

Breakdown tables are mostly working, but the smart fields inside them still have problems.  Our staff is on that now.

Once those are done, we should be ready to start using Goldenseal Pro to run our own daily business. Though we will be cautious, and keep using old Goldenseal in parallel for a while. It’s almost guaranteed that we will find bugs. That’s why we do it.

Dennis Kolva
Programming Director
TurtleSoft.com